P0022
Field Performance of Transgenic Sugarcane with Reduced Chlorophyll Content, Altered Chloroplast Size and Elevated Levels of PPDK

Baskaran Kannan , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Ratna Karan , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Aleel Grennan , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Nikhil Sankara Jaikumar , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Aloisio Vilarinho , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Xiaoguo Zhang , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Jae Yoon Kim , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Xiuhua Chen , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Rebecca A. Slattery , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Stephen P. Moose , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Stephen Long , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Don Ort , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Fredy Altpeter , University of Florida - IFAS, Gainesville, FL
Sugarcane has a C4-type metabolism for fixation of carbon, allowing it to produce enormous amounts of biomass in tropical and subtropical regions. Genetic improvement of photosynthetic efficiency can theoretically be achieved by targeting higher photosynthetic rates/unit of leaf area and by developing the most photosynthetically effective canopy. Recent modeling work indicates that the C4 photosynthetic machinery may currently be limited by inadequate pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) levels. Alternatively, light distribution within the sugarcane canopy may limit biomass yield. Therefore, we explored RNAi suppression of candidate genes which may enhance light transmission into the canopy as well as overexpression of PPDK. Field performance of transgenic sugarcane with elevated PPDK levels, reduced chlorophyll content or altered chloroplast size will be presented.
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